Genesis 3

[Frits]

What do my brothers and sisters think was the lie the serpent told Eve? It's very basic I know, but I'm curious if it is that clearly to everyone?

God bless you.

[BeyondET]

They will not die

Edited December 6, 2020 by BeyondET

[johnthebaptist]

9 hours ago, Frits said:

What do my brothers and sisters think was the lie the serpent told Eve? It's very basic I know, but I'm curious if it is that clearly to everyone?

God bless you.

God said that if Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die (Genesis 2:17). The serpent said, "You will not die" (Genesis 3:4).

[HAZARD]

 

 Some additional interesting Scriptural information concerning the serpent.

Eve never believed , or was tempted by Satan. Eve  was duped by the serpent who was in league with Satan.
It was the serpent and not Satan that actually tempted Eve and caused the fall of man. The devil was too wise to begin with the very head of Gods creation on Earth, Adam.

He began with the highest of the animal creation, "the serpent," whom even Josephus says lived with Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall.

Whether this is true or not, it is clear from Scripture that the serpent was capable of such subtle work.

The serpent made a league with Lucifer and started opposition to God's Word, which has been Satan's sphere of activity ever since.

The serpent was cursed by God because he was the very first to yield to Satan and to cause the fall of man.

The serpent was cursed above all creatures and was to go upon his belly and eat dust all his days (Isa. 65:25).
He was by this curse deprived of walking upright and of his speech and became a poisonus, loathsome creature, despised by man whom he betrayed and decieved (2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14).
Most people were taught and believe that Satan was the serpent, but the serpent was not the personal devil at all. He was a tool of the devil, a creature of the field which God had made which is proved by these following points and Scriptures.

[1] This is plainly stated in Genesis 3:1, "Now the serpent was more stubtle (impudent) than any BEAST OF THE FIELD which the Lord God had made."
Satan is a fallen angel, not a beast of the field. The devil does not crawl upon his belly as is true of the serpent.

[2] Not one Scripture anywhere in the entire Bible states or teaches that Satan, as an angel can turn himself into a literal serpent or any other beast.

[3] That the curse upon the serpent continues upon literal snakes even in the Millennium when it (the curse) is removed from all other animals, read (Isa. 65:25).
If a literal serpent was not involved in the fall of man, why should it be cursed above all other creatures and its curse remain during the millennium and eternity?

[4] That the Hebrew word for serpent is nachash, which means a literal snake. It is always used of a literal snake except in Isa. 27:1, where it is clear that no literal snake is referred to.
Following our principle of taking the Bible literally whenever possible, we can conclude that Gen. 3 refers to a literal snake just as it does in every other place except one. In both testaments when the literal meaning is not to be understood it is always clear or it is explained that a literal serpent is not meant (Isa.27:1; Rev.12:9; 20:2).

[5] The language of Gen. 3 is literal, not symbolical, as is Rev. 12:3-17, where the serpent is explained as a symbol of Satan.
Suppose we substitute the word devil every place the word serpent is used in literal passages as Gen. 3; Exodus 4:3; 7:9-15 etc., and note the results. Thus there is no excuse for believing that the serpent of Gen. 3 was not the devil in person.

[6] Eve was acquainted with the literal serpent in the garden, but she knew nothing of the devil; so if the devil, a stranger had appeared to her she would have been afraid to converse with him.
We can come to no other conclusion other than Eve was well aquainted with the serpent and must have talked with him on other occasions to have listened to him and converse with him in Gen 3.

Eve made two serious mistakes. One, she believed the serpent and not God. And two, she also told the first lie.


God created Adam and Eve free moral agents. As such God tested them to see if they would remain true to Him before allowing them access to the tree of life. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of one particular tree or they would die. This tree was in the midst or center of the garden, (Gen. 3:3).

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:16-17).

Now the devil through the serpent accused God of lying by saying if they ate of the tree they would not surely die but become like God's, something God never said at all.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Gen. 3:4-5).

Eve believed the serpent and not God. Not only did Eve believe the serpent rather than God, she told the first lie.

Eve said this;

"And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, "NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT, LEST YE DIE" (Gen. 3:2-3).

God never said they would die if they touched the tree, God said they would die only if they ate of that particular tree.

Because they disobeyed God He shut off access to the tree of life lest they ate of it as well whilst they were in sin and live forever.

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. 3:22-24).

[Frits]

5 hours ago, johnthebaptist said:

God said that if Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die (Genesis 2:17). The serpent said, "You will not die" (Genesis 3:4).

Hi John,

You're right, the word of God is the trut. So the serpent denying that means he lied.

But do you think that was the only lie he spoke?

[johnthebaptist]

7 hours ago, Frits said:

Hi John,

You're right, the word of God is the trut. So the serpent denying that means he lied.

But do you think that was the only lie he spoke?

Well, the serpent added, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5), and that also was a lie, I assume.

[Frits]

Hi John,

Indeed, you're right again. On 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil', it was impossible for Eve to find a single good fruit! This tree is type of (represents) the devil, who was in the light of God once but then darkness arose in him. From there on the devil is only darkness. 

The serpent saying the Lord God as containing darkness as well therefore is a lie, our Lord God is only light. (Jas.1:17)

God bless you brother.

[BeyondET]

31 minutes ago, johnthebaptist said:

Well, the serpent added, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5), and that also was a lie, I assume.

that wasn’t a lie

Gen 3:22 Then the Lord God said, Behold the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, now lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever

Edited December 7, 2020 by BeyondET

[Frits]

What the Lord God had made indeed was very good. Modification by the devil afterwards, on tree and serpent was not where he was speaking of. ?

[BeyondET]

43 minutes ago, Frits said:

What the Lord God had made indeed was very good. Modification by the devil afterwards, on tree and serpent was not where he was speaking of. ?

You make a valid point about the tree, something happened since the Lord placed it there though must of been for a good reason. I assume in the garden that was the only place evil had dominion on the tree though the Bible doesn’t say animals where not allowed to eat from it only man. since others where cast down to earth I wonder outside the domain of the garden was evil more prevalent.